Apricot and Custard Tart with Persian Syrup

Serves 8 | Prep time: 45 mins + chilling time | Cooking time: 45 mins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 batch of my Persian syrup (see below for recipe)
• 6 apricots

Pastry

• 1/4 a cup of vegan butter
• 1/4 of a cup of icing sugar
• 1 cup of flour
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 2-4 Tbsp of cold plant-based milk

Custard

• 2 cups of coconut cream
• 1 1/2 cups of caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp of agar powder
• 1/2 a tsp of turmeric powder
• 6 Tbsp of corn flour
• 6 Tbsp of plant-based milk
• 1 tsp vanilla paste

METHOD

1. Pre heat oven to 180C/355F.
2. Start by making the pastry: Place all the ingredients in a food processor except the milk and pulse until a bread crumb consistency forms, then add the cold milk and pulse it in until bigger clumps of dough form. Remove the blade and use your hands to clump it together into a rough ball before turning it out onto the bench. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a round disk.
3. Brush a 9-inch loose bottom tart tin with a little melted vegan butter, then carefully pick up the pastry and lay the pastry in. Press it firmly up the walls of the tin and into the edges of the base. Remove excess from around the sides with a butter knife. Lay a sheet of baking paper on top of the pastry and fill the tin with baking beads, then pop it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 180C/355F. When the pastry is done remove the baking beads and set aside to cool.
4. For our silky smooth set custard, combine the turmeric, corn flour and milk to make a paste.
5. Combine the paste with all the other custard ingredients in a saucepan, then place it on a medium heat and stir constantly until it gets very thick. When its nice and thick pour it into the pastry shell immediately. Give it a gentle jiggle or use a spatula to smooth off the top. Work fairly fast here as the agar will start to set the custard as soon as it starts to cool.
6. For the apricots, cut them in half and remove the seed. Now use a small knife to cut slithers into them, and fan them out. Alternatively, you can cut them into round slices about 3mm thick. Lay the apricots over the custard, pressing them into the custard slightly, about 3mm deep.
7. Put in the fridge to completely set. (minimum an hour)
8. When the tart is chilled, use the Persian syrup (see below) to make a gorgeous spiced glaze over the tart. Although this is optional, it makes the tart a lot more special. If you have made the syrup well in advance, it may have set, in which case gently heat it up in a saucepan until it is runny again, then use a pastry brush to paint a layer all over the top of the tart and fruit. Be generous with the glaze for a beautiful glossy and flavourful top layer.
9. Set it again in the fridge and serve completely cold.

Tip: Although apricots work particularly well, you can use other fruit cut in the same way to top this tart, such as nectarines. If you don’t want to make the glaze heat up some apricot jam, (maybe add some cinnamon, powdered cardamom to jazz it up), pass it through a sieve and use this to glaze instead.

PERSIAN SYRUP 

• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 cup vegan white wine
• 1 tsp orange essence
• 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
• 5 cardamom pods, crushed
• 2 tsp orange blossom water
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick

Combine all the ingredients except in a medium size saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for about 10 minutes then simmer the syrup on low until it has halved in volume, then turn off the heat, pass it through a sieve and leave it to cool. Store it in the fridge until ready to use.